Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-09-16

urlnk Wncn OccSlOnal neaNS rams
leave puddles on the surface. This is,
however. poor and unrel able supply.
Where clear running water is provided,
sheep will drink always ut least once a
day In August, when pastures are
dried up. and there are sometimes
sveral nights in succession with little
or no dew, sheep will drink several
times a day if they have a chance.
sMUTTY CORN.
In some localities the black smut in
corn is often the cause of serious loss.
1t is worst on land where this crop has
been planted several years in success
sion. showing that the germs live over
Winter in the soil where they fall. 1t
is fungus hard to get rid of where it
has foothold. The ears or stalks af-
fected will be found early bursting with
sap, and as the spores have not yet ri
pened so as to become easily detached,
these diseased specimens may be re-
moved without much danger of spread
ing the infection. Later in the season
the fungus bursts, and its black dust is
scattered by winds, whence it gets on
the stalks and into the manure pile.
CORN on RIDGES
Some one, who perhaps argued from
his inner consciousness rather than
from observed facts, once advised
throwing two burrows of sod land
together for corn. and planting on the
ridges. Probably this was never prac-
tically attempted. Few plowmen can
throw two sod burrows together evenly
over field holding the pillow land side
half the time against the air. If it could
be done the benefit would be doubtful.
The corn on the ridge nourished by a
double thickness OF sod, might start
we'll but about midsummer the ridges
would be broken down. leaving the
corn too high and dry. Corn roots run
over the entire space between the rows
near the surface, and at the critical ear
ing time they could be drawing on the
sterile, dead burrows and having their
drafts returned q shOnored.
MIDSUMMER CHICKENS.
Eggs are not so good to eat in hot
weather, even when freshly laid. Per-
haps we do not n extreme heat need
so hearty food, though there is also,
doubtless, some deficiency in flavor.
The eggs produced now will not usual
ly hatch out so strong. lively chickens
rs those of the earlier laying, when the
vigor of the hen was greater. Posi-
bly, the feed has somewhat to do with
it Farmers who have grain near their
barns can usually get a clutch of chick
ems Matched about or lite after har-
vest that will be lively and vigorous,
while when the hen has TO produce her
egg day from grass and wheat she can
p,ck up Of innutritious refuse she will
make an egg accordingly, that will
neither be good for much itself nor
produce a vigorous chicken. But when
hens sit out OF doors on the ground
the conditions favor Matching larger
percentage of chicks, even from poor
eggs than we get from better eggs
earlier in the season.
HOGS KILLING RATTLEsNAKEs.
In the Southern States, in localities
where the rattlesnake aboundS, the
hogs running wild in the woods are the
inveterate enemies of this pest. Sows
with young are the ferccst for this
prey, and long practice makes them ex-
pert. The wary porker cautiously
avoids exposing parts of It's body where
a bite would be dangerous or fatal.
Turning It's nanks to the reptile, it
allows it TO strike its fangs into the
ham, which, having no blood-vessels.
receives the venom without injury.
After two or three strokers the rattle
snakes power has gone. Its venom
is exhausted, and it must secrete more
before its bite anywhere could do much
hurt. Then the snake tries TO get
away, but the pig has earned her prize
She coolly kills him and she and her
young make a meal off of the carcass.
This is not very encouraging state
ment for those who eat Southern pork.
none Of which. however, comes North.
Our Northern hogs are usually too well
fed to take up with such scandalous
means of getting living, and we never
have heard of their killing. much less
eating snakes of any kind though it
has been said that when the Western
States were new farmers cons dered
hogs the best kind of stock to keep
where rattlers abounded They were
less likely TO be killed by them, and
were n help in clearing the land of
these pests. Before civilization came
deer made war on the rattlers, gather
ing their fore feet together and coming
down on the snake while coled and
ready to strike. american C7tltiCator
Worse Than the Guiteau Case.
Remarkable thing that about the
Guiteau curse" said one Austin man